Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Landon gazed at Leila with his intense eyes. After a moment, he began to remove his mask.
Before Landon could fully unveil his face, Leila, gripped by a mix of anger and hurt she couldn’t quite understand, grasped a piece of debris and raked it across his right cheek with force.
Her feelings had been bottled up for years, a tumult she had repressed.
Despite the pain, Landon didn’t retaliate. Instead, he locked eyes with her, his dark, compelling gaze fixed on her, and slowly pulled the mask away completely, revealing the horrifying scar on his left cheek.
Landon even managed a smile and said, “I was worried my scar might scare you. But looking at you now, I don’t think you’d be frightened. Leila, it’s been years since we last saw each other. You’ve changed, exactly the way Roderick and I hoped you would.”
Leila’s eyes were fixed on the ghastly scar on his left cheek, and her heart quivered.
Blood still trickled from the fresh wound on Landon’s right cheek, staining his pale skin. Rather than repelling her, the sight drew her in, adding to his allure.
Almost without thinking, Leila reached out her hand toward him. Before she could reach his face, she instinctively pulled back. But Landon was quicker. He seized her wrist in an instant.
Forcefully, Landon pressed her hand against the red mark. His gaze met hers, filled with a sad, tender intensity.
“See this, Leila? This is what I ended up with after I wronged you. Do you despise me? I’m sorry, I’m not looking for your forgiveness,” Landon said, his voice heavy with self-loathing. “I know I’m despicable, and I’ve been shadowing you all along. But…”
Landon, usually so stern, faltered, his voice cracking.
Leila was speechless. Torn and in agony, she was at a loss.
Following everything had opened her eyes to many things, and she had come to understand some of Landon’s past actions and motivations. Yet, the fact remained unchanged-Landon had wounded her deeply.
She didn’t care whether he had done those things to protect her. She couldn’t let go of the injuries and grievances she had suffered. She detested him, yet, somewhere deep inside, she still cared about him. Years of agonizing, conflicting emotions had tormented Leila, culminating in an overwhelming burst today. Overcome, she wept uncontrollably.
Landon, disconcerted by her distress, dabbed at her tears, his voice shaky. “Please, don’t cry. It’s all my fault. Feel free to hit me, yell at me, or even kick me. I won’t hold a grudge.”
In her turmoil, Leila seized Landon’s arm and bit down hard.
Landon winced, his eyebrows knitting together. “Why are you biting so hard?” he gasped.
Just then, another knock echoed through the room.
It was Edgar, sounding alarmed. “Mr. Kensington, more reporters are on their way. Our team might not hold them off much longer. We need a plan.”
Landon’s expression hardened. “Leila, this isn’t the time for emotions. You need to make a choice. Someone orchestrated today’s chaos, and it won’t be the last time. You have two options. One, jump out the window. My team is ready to catch you and I’ll handle the rest. Two, tell those reporters we’re engaged. That should keep you out of such troubles from now on. The decision is yours. I won’t push you.”
Leila gazed out the window, fully aware that Landon was telling the truth. “Why are you helping me?” she asked.
“Should I have a reason?” Landon responded seriously. “I help you because of my love for you, a deep and abiding love. I won’t plead with you to stay by my side, but I do hope to atone and earn your forgiveness.”
Leila was taken aback. She hadn’t anticipated such a candid confession from Landon. It was uncharacteristic of him. In the past, such words would have delighted her. At this point, while she assumed she would feel nothing, her heart raced with emotion.
Edgar’s voice at the door grew more anxious, prompting Leila to take a deep breath.
Outside, reporters who had been waiting for over three hours grew restless with speculation.
“Is it true, then? Is it really about Leila Nixon?”
“Absolutely. She once tried to charm her foster brother into marrying her while living with the Kensington as an adopted daughter. Later, she returned to the Nixon family and now owns the auction house.”
“Her life story is quite the drama. Now, here she is, leaving her daughter at home to seduce another guy.”
“And what about her marital status? Hasn’t she divorced? If she’s involved with another man, it isn’t that unlikely, right?”
“What do you know? The man she’s involved with is Joanna’s cousin, a relative of the Martel family. Not as wealthy as the Martel family, but still a man of means. I heard he already had a girlfriend when this scandal broke. What a situation for Leila to be in, possibly the other woman in such a drama! And she’s head of the largest auction house in Burmoos. This is explosive news!”
As soon as the words left their lips, the door swung open.
Leila emerged first, her legs wobbling slightly. The way she walked was somewhat strange.
The reporters, upon noticing her, surged forward and encircled her at once.
“Is it true you’re the other woman in a love triangle? Is Ms. Martel’s cousin inside? What do you think about being labeled a mistress?”
Leila, overwhelmed by the crowd, found it difficult to maintain her balance.
Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind and steadied her. A calm, composed voice flowed over her head. “Folks, I’m sorry to disappoint you all, but I was in the room with Leila. Now tell me, why has my fianc?e been branded a mistress?”
Leaning into Landon’s chest, Leila responded in a playful tone, “Who knows? It seems someone is keen on tarnishing my reputation. Careless as I am, it’s hard to see who might benefit from such rumors. Perhaps these reporters were given money to come here.”
The reporters faltered, taken aback. They recognized Mr. Lando, and merely mentioning his name evoked fear in their hearts.
Despite having most of his wealth stashed overseas, Mr. Lando’s influence remained unshaken. He ruled over the vast underground market in Yoeloth. Many people were lined up to buy things there. Even the wealthy in Avalon had to resort to the black market if they couldn’t find what they needed. Crossing him was a guarantee of a dire fate.
The reporters, visibly anxious, shook their heads vehemently.
One stammered, “No-, we haven’t taken anyone’s money. We’re here to uncover the truth after hearing rumors. We never intended to spread lies.”
“Oh, really?” Leila sneered, her eyes narrowing dangerously. “Just a moment ago, you labeled me a mistress. If the man with me today held no sway or status, I suppose you’d feel free to speak ill of me as you please, correct?”
Landon’s eyes narrowed when he heard that.
Several reporters nearly lost their footing, their hands trembling uncontrollably. They were still trying to justify themselves. “We… We wouldn’t do that. We are journalists. We always tell the truth. How could we possibly do such a thing?”
With a disdainful snort, Leila moved closer to Landon, trailing her finger across his chest. “What should we do then? Someone here doesn’t want to tell the truth.”
Landon grabbed her hand, halting its movement. His voice dropped to a low whisper. “Don’t move.”
Leila saw the desire flickering in his eyes, causing her cheeks to flush red. It was clear Landon was easily turned on. If it hadn’t been for the sake of the act, she wouldn’t have gotten so close to him.
Landon smiled and gave her a reassuring pat on the back. When he turned his gaze away from her, his eyes grew cold and unyielding. “If they refuse to tell the truth, we’ll use whatever means necessary. We won’t stop until we get the answers we need. Let’s see if they want to risk offending us.”
One reporter, unable to bear the pressure any longer, fell to his knees and began to confess, his voice trembling with fear. “You’re right. Someone did instruct us to do this. But we were left with no choice. If we anger the Martel family, we risk losing our jobs, the only means we have to support ourselves for the rest of our lives. Miss, we sincerely apologize. Please, let us go.”
With desperation written across his face, the reporter began to kowtow.
Other reporters couldn’t keep up their deceit anymore. Upon witnessing the scene, roughly half of them dropped their heads in submission.
Leila was undeniably furious. How had Joanna managed to bribe so many reporters from the media? Joanna was intent on tarnishing her reputation.
Leila couldn’t fathom what she had done to provoke Joanna or why Joanna seemed intent on destroying her. “I will leave these people to you. What do you plan to do with them?” Landon’s voice cut through Leila’s thoughts, pulling her back to the present.
Leila took a deep breath, her gaze steady as she spoke.
“I have no intention of causing any harm to them. My only hope is that they come forward with the truth. Some of them were asked to take pictures of my so-called scandals. They claimed they never intended to spread rumors. All I ask is that they reveal the truth about who I left the room with today and who I was seen with. Folks, do you understand?”
The reporters hastily nodded.
Landon’s voice was cold but unwavering as he said to the reporters, “Make sure you tell this correctly. I have known Leila since we were abroad. She saved my life. I vowed to spend my life with her and was ready to marry into her family.”
Leila lifted her head, her eyes wide with disbelief. They were only pretending. He didn’t need to say that. However, she chose not to let it bother her.
After Leila was done dealing with the reporters, she gently slipped out of Landon’s embrace.
As Leila reached the door and slid into the car, ready to leave, she was taken aback to see Landon shamelessly following her and slipping into the seat beside her. Her eyes widened in surprise as she asked, “What are you doing? Weren’t we just acting?”
Landon blinked innocently and replied, “We need to keep up the pretense. There might be reporters lurking in the shadows. We should head home together. Actually, we are going to your place.”
Under Leila’s disapproving gaze, Landon quickly added, “Moreover, I haven’t seen our daughter in ages.” A bitter smile donned his face.
Leila opened her mouth to respond but ultimately chose silence. She realized she didn’t have the right to deny Landon the chance to see Sophie.